Sir John Major receives freedom of district

Former prime minister and Huntingdon MP Sir John Major has been admitted as an Honorary Freeman of the District of Huntingdonshire.

Sir John served as the town's Conservative MP from 1979 until 2001 and led the country from 1990 to 1997.

Huntingdonshire District Council said the award, received at a ceremony on Wednesday, recognised his decades of public service, his leadership on the national stage and his longstanding connection with the district and its communities.

Sir John described the honour as "entirely unexpected". "I really am enormously touched by the honour you have given me here and will be forever grateful," he said.

"For me, and my family, Huntingdon has been a home and a refuge. Anything Norma and I have done for Huntingdon has been more than amply repaid by the support and friendship that has been given to us," he continued.

Councillors at the local authority emphasised it was a "civic recognition rather than a political one".

Chief executive Michelle Sacks said: "It is a privilege for the council to recognise Sir John's remarkable contribution to Huntingdonshire and to the country.

"His long record of public service, including more than two decades representing Huntingdon in Parliament, has left a lasting legacy both locally and nationally.

"Granting the Freedom of the District is our way of formally acknowledging the respect and gratitude felt by many across the district for his dedication and leadership."

Follow Cambridgeshire news on BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram and X.